's accomplishments might be, singing was certainly not one
of them. He could hail the fore-royal-yard from the taffrail in a gale
of wind, and make himself pretty plainly heard too; but when it came to
trolling forth a ditty, he had no more voice than a raven; and my sister
had often thrown him into a state of the most comical distress by
proffering a similar request to that now made by his new friend.

As soon as she found that Bob really could not sing, she tried me; and,
as I was considered to have a very tolerable voice, I immediately
complied, giving her "Tom Bowling" and a few more of Dibdin's fine old
sea-songs, as well as one or two more frequently heard in a drawing-
room, which I had learnt under my sister's able tuition.

She then sang us a few favourites of her own in a sweet clear soprano,
and with a depth of feeling for the sentiment of the song which is but
too seldom heard in the performances of amateurs.

About ten o'clock she wished us "good-night," and retired to her cot;
and Bob then also went below and turned in, it being his "eight hours
in" that night, and I was left to perform the rest of my watch alone.

The next morning, Bob turned out of his own accord, and made a
surreptitious attempt to resume the duties of the _cuisine_; but at the
first rattle of the cups and saucers he was hailed from the fore-
compartment and ordered to desist at his peril, and in a very short time
the little fairy appeared, blooming and fresh as the morning, and Master
Bob received such a lecture that he was fain from that time forward to
leave the cookery department entirely in her hands, and he retired
discomfited to the deck, and began forthwith to wash down.

A permanent improvement now occurred in our style of living, and we
began to enjoy many little comforts which, it is true, we never had
missed, but which were singularly welcome nevertheless; and altogether
we found ourselves vastly gainers by the presence of the sweet little
creature on board.

She quickly learned to take the chronometer time for my observations,
and that, too, with a precision which Bob himself could not surpass; and
in a very short time she could steer as well as either of us, which was
an immense advantage when shortening or making sail. Add to all this
the amusement we derived from her incessant lively prattle, and the
additional cheerfulness thus infused into our daily life, and the reader
will agree with me, I think, that it was a